SPRINGFIELD– While every member of the Chiefs Kingdom is anxiously awaiting Sunday’s Super Bowl, Springfield residents nervously watched one of their own try to wax the competition in the finale of the PBA’s second tour stop.
After rolling 24 games, hometown hero, Kevin Williams, found himself in the match play championship of the Springfield Classic.
All he had to do was best Sam Cooley in a one-game roll off and he’d collect his second career tour victory.
After opening with a spare, Williams domesticates the wolf pattern to earn back-to-back strikes giving him a 69-50 advantage after three frames.
But Cooley, remained calm, cool, and collected. He ends his turn in the fifth with a third consecutive strike! Gobble gobble says the turkey. Helping him jump in front by 10 pins.
Eigth frame, Williams facing a routine spare, gets unlucky as the five and eight pins split the nine. Opening the frame and the door for Cooley to capitalize.
Which is exactly what the 2021 Cheetah Champion did on his next turn. Back-to-back strikes gave Cooley a 30 pin advantage entering the final two frames. The Australian native fired up as all get out.
So needing to strikeout on his final four attempts to put some heat on Cooley, Williams delivers. He goes 4-4 to fire up the home crowd and finish with a respectable 217.
But Cooley picked up a key spare in the 10th and needing just 2 pins on his final throw to win, he gets 7 to record a winning score of 223.
Both players bowled under their tournament average of 230, but it’s Cooley who comes out as the king pin to win the Springfield Classic and collect his 2nd career PBA title.
